Nekso Ferragudo: Michelin-level dining for just €90

Ferragudo has a new fine dining restaurant, and it might just be one of the Algarve’s best discoveries of 2026.

A hidden gem in Ferragudo

WOW! What a discovery! After visiting hundreds of restaurants across the Algarve, it takes something special to surprise me. Nekso certainly did.

Opened just four months ago, this new fine dining restaurant in Ferragudo offers the kind of cooking you would expect from a Michelin-starred establishment, but at a remarkably reasonable price: €90 for nine courses.

The restaurant occupies part of a beautiful white building in the heart of Ferragudo. Inside, the atmosphere is modern, minimalist and welcoming, with natural materials, warm lighting, comfortable seating and pleasant background music. A semi-open kitchen allows guests to watch the chefs at work.

Everything feels carefully considered, without being overly formal or intimidating.

Two friends, one dream

Behind Nekso are two young Portuguese chefs, Tiago Melo (32) and Lucas Silva (26), who have worked together for seven years.

Tiago previously worked at Leão de Porches and spent two years at Michelin-starred Bon Bon before gaining experience in Lisbon. He later became head chef at a hotel in Alvor, where he began working with Lucas.

Their professional relationship developed into a close friendship, and eventually they decided to open their own restaurant.

Even the name reflects their story. Nekso comes from the Portuguese word nexo, meaning connection. It represents the personal and professional bond between two people who share the same ideas and ambitions.

And that connection is visible throughout the evening.

Nine courses of pure creativity

Nekso offers two tasting menus: one featuring fish and meat, and another entirely vegetarian. Both cost €90.

My evening started with three beautifully presented amuse-bouches, followed by an impressive series of dishes featuring unusual combinations, intense flavours and exceptional presentation.

The vegetarian menu begins with sweet potato, tangerine and corn; shiitake, turnip and ginger; and potato, olives and egg yolk.

The following courses feature tomato with cucumber, plum and basil; asparagus with nashi pear, kohlrabi and fennel; and homemade sourdough bread served with butter and Mainova olive oil.

Next come cabbage with pumpkin, seaweed and bergamot; tofu with onion, aubergine and brown butter; and mushrooms with chestnut, Jerusalem artichoke and São Jorge cheese.

The experience finishes with two creative desserts: fig with fig leaf, spices and Pinot Noir, followed by celeriac with apple, caramel and vanilla.

An equally impressive fish and meat menu

The alternative menu begins with sea bream, tangerine and corn; mackerel, turnip and ginger; and oyster with foie gras and chicken skin.

Next comes a coastal prawn with tomato, plum and basil, followed by hamachi with nashi pear, kohlrabi and fennel.

After the homemade sourdough bread, guests enjoy red snapper with mussels, pumpkin and Thai sour soup; squid with egg yolk, shallots and smoked pork broth; and quail with blackberry, daikon and herbs.

The final two courses are the same imaginative desserts: fig with spices and Pinot Noir, followed by celeriac with apple, vanilla and caramel.

Both menus demonstrate remarkable creativity, particularly in the sauces, textures and unexpected ingredient combinations.

Portuguese wines and zero waste

The optional wine pairing costs €75 and takes guests on a fascinating journey through Portugal.

Rather than relying on familiar international labels, Nekso showcases Portuguese wines from different regions, climates and altitudes. From dry landscapes to wetter regions, every wine has its own story.

Another admirable aspect is the restaurant’s commitment to reducing food waste. Vegetable peels and other ingredients that many kitchens would discard are transformed into creative preparations.

It is an approach that combines sustainability with serious culinary imagination.

Michelin ambitions?

After dinner, I asked the chefs about their inspiration and future ambitions.

Interestingly, they don’t have one particular culinary hero. They admire many chefs but also inspire each other.

When they find time to eat out, three favourite restaurants are Yeatman in Vila Nova de Gaia, O Charneco in Estômbar and Quinta dos Santos in Lagoa.

And what about the future?

Their dream is to continue improving Nekso, perhaps eventually open a second, more relaxed restaurant and, yes, hopefully earn a Michelin star.

But Tiago emphasises that their most important ambition is much simpler: happy guests.

I also encouraged them to introduce a fully vegan tasting menu, allowing guests who cannot or prefer not to eat dairy or eggs to enjoy the experience too. It makes good business sense: if one person in a group of eight is vegan, the restaurant could otherwise lose the entire reservation. The chefs welcomed the suggestion and hope to introduce a vegan menu soon.

My verdict

The evening gave me an excellent opportunity to experience the chefs’ personal attention. Every course was beautifully explained, the service was warm and genuine, and the cooking was consistently impressive.

For €90, Nekso delivers an experience comparable, in my opinion, to restaurants charging twice as much.

Ferragudo already has some wonderful restaurants, but Nekso takes the village’s dining scene to another level.

One of the Algarve’s most exciting new restaurants, and absolutely worth discovering.

All restaurant reviews: www.HotspotsAlgarve.com

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Restaurant:
Nekso Fine Dining

Address: Urbanização da Hortinha, Lote 33, 8400-206 Ferragudo, Algarve, Portugal

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday,
7 PM–9 PM (dinner service).
Closed Mondays.

Reservations:
+351 961 430 797

Email:
nekso.reservas@gmail.com

Tasting menu:
€90 per person (9 courses)

Wine pairing: €75

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